Standing before Hex, Kredon and Shaehun is The Drow Ranger, ARCHUS CULIVEER.

“Don’t all say hello at once,” speaks Archus as he sparks a stick and rock, and tosses it in the prepared pile of wood and brush…

…it lights up in a roar.

“It will be dark soon, so we’d best figure out a Watch,” he finishes.

“But you’re a…” Hex starts, but stops himself.

“A Drow, yes, but I suspect you’ve seen worse, judging by that rascal of a blade at your side,” Archus speaks with a menacing smile.

Shaehun approaches, and locks arms with Archus, “Archus!” she seems surprisingly happy to see him…

…even Archus takes note, “Hello Shae, good to see you’re still breathing, word had it you’d considered giving such trivialities up…” he smiled again, pulled his bow off his back, “I’ll take first watch,” and disappeared into the trees.

“That–” started Kredon.

“–is an amazing being,” finished Shaehun, who then realized she was making too much of Archus, and turned towards the fire.

“You two get some sleep, you’ll need it, I’m going to stay up, take second watch when Archus comes in,” she speaks without room for negotiation.

Hex looks at Kredon and shrugs, “So be it,” he then throws some things into a pot, and puts it over the fire,”but first, we eat”.

TWO HOURS LATER

Shaehun joins Archus in a tree which he watches from.

“So who is this guy Shae, that you’d bring him to the Brigadeers?” Archus asks without taking his eyes off the watch.

“A Warlock… Lord of Talabus to be specific…” she replies.

“You know these words mean nothing to me, why have you brought him?”

“The Tear of Asmodeus directed him to find me… And beyond that, call it a feeling,” she explains.

“A feeling,” Archus says with a slight laugh.

“Is Araban at home, or off saving the world again?” Shaehun says with a laugh herself.

Archus smiles, this time softer, “The noble blowhard is there… Every last scale,” they both laugh.

MORNING

Hex wakes early, and goes quickly into a trance.

Magic that fills me… I know not what your purpose is, or how you might react to serving this blade… I will do my best not to taint you

TAINT YOU… I COULD BE OFFENDED BY THIS, SHOULD I DESIRE… BUT I DO NOT

I know nothing of you Blade… Only that I am bonded to you, and you are bonded to Asmodeus

I AM ALIVE, MORTAL… THAT’S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

“Good morning my Lord,” speaks Kredon as he runs his hands through his thinning hair, “breakfast?”

Hex nods.

Archus walks into camp, but Shaehun is no where to be seen.

“Shae will meet us at the base,” he says.

“Base?” Hex stands, and looks a bit surprised.

“You’ll see soon enough… For now, we need to get out of these woods, those Clerics will search them soon enough,” and with this Archus reaches down and grabs a piece of bread from near the fire.

THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE KORNDOR FOREST

The six Night Watch Clerics, two Elven Rangers and Cormick stand near what appear to be tracks leading into the woods.

“About 18 hours ago I’d say, but they may have made camp,” speaks the first Ranger.

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t join us in Angolo?” speaks one of the Night Watch.

“I need Hex to trust me… By my not showing up, he may have doubts that I was actually involved,” he explains openly.

“Can you take my men in there?” Cormick asks the two Wood Elf Rangers, they look at one another, and shake their heads.

“There’s a Drow Ranger known as Archus Culiveer in there… It’s his territory, and he wouldn’t take kindly to a couple Wood Elves entering it,” the second Ranger explains.

“Very well,” Cormick hands them a purse of gold coins, and the two of them make there way down the road.

“My brother… He was captured by an enemy Barbarian Clan… The Nors, as they’re called… But there were too many of them… Maybe 12, or 15… So out of desperation I prayed to our Gods that they might aid me… But none answered… So I prayed to someone else,” with this Shaehun’s eyes look blacker than ever.

“Asmodeus…” interjected Kredon.

Shaehun looked at the large man, and nodded.

“Enter the Tear of Asmodeus… There it was, just sticking in the ground outside the Nors camp… The most beautiful blade I had ever seen… And the way it felt, like—” she explained, but Hex finished her sentance.

“–it was made for you, and only you.”

Shaehun looked at Hex,”Yes.”

“How did you part from the blade?” questioned Kredon.

“Well… This blade did indeed aid me in freeing my brother, leaving some 7 of the Barbarians slain, the two of us fled… We drank, we laughed, we were young again… That is… Until he asked to see the blade.”

“Did you let him?” asked Hex.

“Well… See, yes… But not touch… And this raged him… He emplored me to let him hold it, and I refused… I could already feel its’ darkness filling me from the 7 kills I had used it for… Something in me was changing.”

Hex looked uneasy, “Well… I don’t know about the two of you, but I need to get some rest, I shall get us all rooms,” with this he stood, and went to the Inn Keeper.

Shaehun normally wouldn’t let a man buy her a room, but this was different.

She looked at Kredon, “He hasn’t killed with it yet, has he…”

Kredon bowed, and shook his head no.

“Alright then, each of you have a room, goodnight,” he spoke, and was gone…

…but he would not sleep that night.

Instead when he closed his eyes, he saw the dark blue eyes of Tyedra in the Talabus church.

You Have Two Options Hex… Serve The Tear Of Asmodeus

Or Serve Asmodeus Directly

His words rang through him like a cold knife.

BAM BAM BAM!

Came from Hex’s door, and when he opened it, Kredon stood in the hallway.

Cromick simply stared at him, then glanced at the two Clerics at the doorway who were still waiting to be relieved.

He nodded at them, and they departed.

“I see…” replied Cromick.

Hex being wise enough, could tell the mention of them made Cromick uneasy.

“So than you know?” spoke Hex.

Cromick froze, “Yes, I know…”.

“Good… I need your help!” exhaled Hex.

“Ha, I can not help you… Besides, haven’t your parents passed?” replied Cromick who had now poured himself a stiff drink, from a bottle he had not opened in years.

“Can you tell me Cromick, what is a Hexblade?” blurted out Hex.

Cromick turned and faced Hex and Kredon, “This is not the place to discuss this…”

ONE HOUR LATER

THE INN RED TAVERN

Cormick, Hex and Kredon sit at a table, in a fairly busy tavern.

Cormick orders them all drinks.

“First of all, Hexblades are made of Sentient Magic, which means they have a personality of their own… You will never fully control the powers it possesses, but it may allow you to use it… As long as you don’t piss it off,” explained Cormick who then takes a large swig of ale.

“If what you say is true, it sounds like your parents contract somehow bound either you, or any offspring of theirs in some way… Do you have the contract with you?” he asks.

Hex hesitantly pulls it out from his black and purple velvet robe, and sets it on the table.

Hex turns towards Kredon, then in several long steps approaches, and grabs his shirt desperately, his face sweating profusely, “Kredon, did my mother and father ever say anything to you about the Archdevil Asmodeus?!”.

Kredon stared at him, speechless.

“Of course they didn’t…” Hex continued, than released the large man’s shirt, and went back to frantically searching the library.

He then eyed his father’s desk, and tried to open it…

…but before he could say anything about it being locked, Kredon was at his side holding the key.

Hex looked at him, realizing how insane he must look, took the key, and opened it.

“What is it my Lord?”, Kredon questioned.

“Something… Horrible… Something… Monstrous,” he pronounced as he looked quickly through his father’s desk.

“Tell me,” Kredon said flatly.

THE CHURCH

There the two of them stood staring at the Tear Of Asmodeus Hexblade, floating where Hex left it in the middle of the church.

“You say… A Greater Demon brought it to you?” spoke Kredon who could not fully grasp the enormity of the situation.

“A Pit Fiend… Yes… Named Tyedra,” Hex said in almost hysterics, running his hand through his black hair, trying to figure out his next move.

“You say if it’s true, there should be a Contract?” spoke Kredon methodically.

“Yes… A Contract with the Archdevil Asmodeus,” Hex replied.

“If it does exist, I think I know where it might be,” continued Kredon.

HEX’S PARENTS BEDROOM

Kredon pulls a secret lever attached to a suit of Armour, and the wall opens up to a solid gold safe.

“In there,” spoke Kredon.

Hex stood there in shock, “Do you–” he began, but Kredon had already begun opening the safe with its’ combination.

Within there was a pile of parchment with a black cover, tied together with silver thread.

CONTRACT, was written atop it in grey ash.

Within the parchment was such an elaborate contract placed on the strangest parchment one could imagine.

It was almost cold like metal, but appeared to be paper.

Without trying to read the whole thing, Hex went to the back, where both his mothers’ and fathers’ signatures were written in blood.

“This is insane…” spoke Hex.

“My god… It’s true,” spoke Kredon in disbelief.

Hex sat on his parents bed.

Kredon looked at him, “How long do you have?”

Hex just shook his head, “I don’t know… Not long… This thing was huge… He literally said he’d eat my soul if I didn’t comply.”

Kredon approached, “Take the blade.”

This surprised Hex.

“You can not make a pact with Asmodeus.”

“I have absolutely no knowledge about this blade…” replied Hex.

“Ask him… Ask the Pit Fiend, he’ll likely have to tell you.”

Suddenly Hex’s eyes lit up, “The Clerics of Talabus?”

Kredon looked at Hex blankly.

“When their Order came to an end twenty years ago, where did they go?”

Kredon thought for a moment, “The ones’ that remained Clerics went to three different Orders…” he explained.

“Cromick… The Leader…,” replied Hex.

“About a day and half’s travel northwest… An Order called Night Watch,” Kredon finished.